Cream Cheese Crostata Dough
Crostata: Rustic/Italian tart made with pasta frolla, “tender dough”; open tart.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 sticks + 2.5 tablespoons (13.25 oz.) Butter
- ¼ tsp. salt
- Lemon Zest
- 2 pkgs. (1 lb.) cream cheese
- 4 c. (1 lb.) pastry flour
Instructions
- Paddle butter, salt & (flavoring) for 1-2 minutes ON MEDIUM SPEED until pliable & softened.
- Decrease mixer speed to LOW.
- (CAUTION) with mixer running, add cream cheese in pieces.
- Mix to combine, 1-2 minutes on low. Turn mixer off & Scrape well.
- Add flour to butter/cream cheese mixture.
- Mix on LOW for 1-2 minutes until combined, scraping in between if needed.
- Divide dough into pieces. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.
To Assemble Crostata: - STEP 1: Scale, mix & chill dough.
- STEP 2: Infuse complimentary flavors to fruit.
- Macerate fruit in desired flavoring liquid (orange juice, liquor, sangria) (Macerated: to soak product, usually fruit, in a flavored liquid, usually alcohol, to soften +/or infuse flavor.)
- **NOTE: Lemon juice boosts fruit flavors!
- Add fresh chopped herbs/spices/zest.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar.
- Toss to coat.
- Set aside 10-15 minutes.
- Step 3: Roll, Fill & Décor Crostata
- Dust the work bench with flour (be generous!).
- “Wake up your dough” –(see demo) by gently beating it with your rolling pin.
- Roll to desired diameter and thickness. 1/8-1/4” thickness. The larger the diameter, the thicker the dough should progress.
- Place macerated fruit into center of the dough. Fold up edges around the fruit by building a border crust.
- Brush border crust with egg wash. (Egg Wash: baker’s décor/glaze made of any variety of eggs, water/cream, & salt brushed on before baking to enhance color & shine)
- Sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake: 365F until dough is golden and fruit just starts to bubble.